For the first time in a while I could get up when I wanted, so this morning I slept in until about 9.30 (I would once have laughed at this statement...), and when I woke up I felt very well-rested. I went out for a breakfast of French toast and coffee with condensed milk, while I looked through my guidebook and decided what to do for the day. I went for the National Museum in the morning, and the Royal Palace in the afternoon. Starting with the basics, both in easy locations and situated right next to each other, so as not to over-stretch myself! My three-day Mekong Delta tour was so packed with activity and lacking in free time that from now on the pace will be slowed down by three or four measures.
The National Museum is a dark red structure in the traditional Khmer style, but which was built between 1917 and 1920. From the outside I first thought it looked a little out-of-place and overbearing in its style, but inside it was beautiful. The museum comprises four rooms built around, and open onto, a delightful courtyard garden with four lily ponds around a statue of Buddha. The museum of today was born out of the Khmer Museum, which was established in 1905 in another site site. The collection expanded, and in 1951 it was renamed the National Museum of Cambodia and was taken under the control of the Royal Government. The museum was closed during the Khmer Rouge period, and has been open again since 1979. It houses a collection of Khmer sculptures and other archaeological finds from across a millennium.
I approached the museum in the 'wrong' order, going anti-clockwise and so with a muddled chronology. Firstly, I saw a collection of Buddha statues from the post-Angkorian period, which refers to the age between the decline of the Angkor civilization and the beginning of the French colonial period, cited as between the 15th and 19th centuries. These statues were mostly carved from a single piece of wood, decorated with mother-of-pearl, glass or precious stones, and protected by a layer of black or red lacquer paint. Unfortunately I couldn't take photographs of the exhibits to share here. Something I found particularly interesting were the bronze drums in the next room. From the 4th-1st centuries BC these were extremely precious and valuable masterpieces, which were treasured by a community and owned by the village chief. When the chief died, he would be buried with the bronze drum, often filled with jewellery and treasures, to bring him wealth in the next life. These finds are said to be the signature archaeological artefacts of South-East Asia, and over sixty have so far been discovered in North Vietnam, South China and two principal sites in Southern Cambodia. Jumping forward to the early 20th century, I saw a series of paintings depicting scenes from Reamkher, the Khmer version of a popular Hindu story originating in India, which tells the tale of a prince, Preah Ream, and his journey to find and return his abducted wife Neang Seda. Try as I might though, I couldn't follow the story by looking at the paintings. Maybe my imagination is just not good enough.
The next room was dedicated to Jayavarman VII, a Khmer king who ruled from 1177 to 1181. As a prince over 50 years old, he liberated the city of Angkor from a Cham invasion and declared himself king, embarking on a campaign of Empire-building and the construction of many temples and public buildings. Under his rule, the Khmer kingdom grew to its largest ever size, five times the size of modern-day Cambodia. He was known for his compassion for the people of the kingdom, and after his death, thought to be in 1218, he was given the grand posthumous title of Preah Mahaparamasaugatapada, meaning 'he who has gone where the great followers of the supreme Buddha reside'. The main feature of this room is a stone carving of the Jayavarman VII in meditation, his eyes closed and head titled downwards, wearing a simple hermit's loincloth. He must have been an interesting character.
Further on were more stone sculptures depicting divinities from Buddhism and Brahmanism, the oldest being from the 6th-7th century. These included many sculptures of Lakshmi, the female personification of the Vishnu and the goddess of fortune, as well as a peculiar pair of fighting apes. A sign on the wall explained that Khmer sculpture is signified by a balance between simplicity and attention to detail, the loyalty to human form in depiction and the distinctive 'Smile of Angkor' facial expression, a half smile with closed eyes.
In the final quarter of the museum I read a little about the two dominant religious followings in Khmer culture. Brahmanism had long been present due to Indian influence. The three key divinities of Brahmanism are Shiva, responsible for the destruction of the universe, Vishnu, preserver of the universe, and Brahma, the creator, a figure that was not as prominent as the former two in Khmer society and art. Buddhism has been practised since the 6th century, and Mahayana Buddhism first became the state religion under the reign of King Jayavarman VII. Buddhists worship the Buddha, the 'enlightened one', who has 'achieved liberation from the endless cycle of rebirth'. There is also Lokeshvara, the lord of compassion, and Pranjnaparamita, who represents the perfection of wisdom. Before the dominance of these two beliefs, the primary following was Animism, the belief in natural phenomena and in forest spirits.
Evidently, there was a lot of information to be gained at the National Museum, although it was just the right size to walk around for an hour. The smell of jasmine (offerings to statues) and the light from the courtyard made it really pleasant to walk around. I went for lunch at Friends, a tapas restaurant and training school for former street youths. The restaurant gives impoverished young people work experience and hospitality training to equip them for employment in Phnom Penh's tourist industry, so I felt like it was a valuable place to spend my lunch-money. My food took a long time to arrive but I could see it was an exception. I enjoyed a tasty light lunch of smoked aubergine dip with French bread. Next door is Friends & Stuff, a shop and manicure parlour which raises money for the same foundation, and there is also a Khmer restaurant in a different part of the city which is part of the same cause.
In the afternoon I went to the Royal Palace. It is the home to King Norodom Sihanouk and his family, so much of the grounds are off-limits to visitors. I had been told that the palace is overpriced and there is not much you can see when inside, but I felt that I couldn't come to Phnom Penh without seeing it, so I paid my $6.25 to go in. I'm very glad I did. I found that there was an hour and a half's worth of things to see, and it was incredibly beautiful and peaceful, particularly in the late afternoon. It was not permitted to take photos inside any of the buildings, but there was a lot to photograph from walking around the grounds. I loved the elegant golden-yellow tiered rooftops guarded by pigeons on every pinnacle. Yellow and white are used on all of the buildings to represent Buddhism and Brahmanism respectively. The palace as it now stands was constructed in 1866, but was originally built in 1434. After the royal family moved to Oudong to the north, the palace was reconstructed in concrete to the original design.
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After this I took a walk at dusk through the park in front of the palace where people gathered to talk or play sports. I walked to the Independence Monument at the junction of the Norodom and Sihanouk boulevards. Constructed in 1958 to model the central tower of Angkor Wat, it is a commemoration of independence from the French, and is also used as a memorial to the war dead. Further along I saw the Cambodia-Vietnam Friendship Monument, a strange combination of grey communist-style figures beneath a yellow Khmer-style roof. Walking along the riverbank I saw a commotion as people crammed into two box-shaped miniature-temples on the street, holding incense sticks. Music was playing and vendors were selling fruit and flowers for offerings, and carrying birds in cages for people to pay to set free (although they are trained to return again). I joined a few tourists who were watching the chaos and wondered what it could be about. Today is Children's day, the final day of Moon Festival and I had been expecting to see children's parades and parties, but I hadn't seen much to suggest it was a special day at all. I wondered if what I was watching could be a part of the Moon Festival, a special Sunday worship, or just an everyday event. There was no way of knowing. (I'll point out here that if anybody reading this blog has any insights to share with me they can be posted in the comment box below, and I will be grateful for the knowledge).
After a long afternoon and a lot of walking I appreciated a happy-hour mojito for $1.75 before dinner. I ate on the riverbank again, in fact only next door to the restaurant I ate at last night. I ordered fried pork and shredded ginger and again, the food was very nice. I feel very optimistic about this. Back in Saigon I've had a hard time finding quality budget meals when eating out by myself, but in Phnom Penh I now feel confident that I can't go too wrong and should easily be able to find a delicious and inexpensive meal. I finished the day with a frozen yoghurt bought from a specialist two doors down, and enjoyed this treat as I walked back to the hotel.
My first day in Phnom Penh has been great and I have very positive first impressions of this city. The people are very friendly and chatty, which I appreciated as I'm travelling alone. Today I had conversations with several people in the street and the park, and restaurant service is very warm. The food has been fantastic so far and I have seen some beautiful sights today. Tomorrow may be less fun. I have arranged a tuk-tuk for the day to take me out to the killing fields at Choeung Ek, and then to the Tuol Sleng genocide museum in the former S-21 Khmer Rouge Security Prison. A very different aspect of Khmer history, but one that I am keen to learn more about, however dark and disturbing it may be.
The National Museum is a dark red structure in the traditional Khmer style, but which was built between 1917 and 1920. From the outside I first thought it looked a little out-of-place and overbearing in its style, but inside it was beautiful. The museum comprises four rooms built around, and open onto, a delightful courtyard garden with four lily ponds around a statue of Buddha. The museum of today was born out of the Khmer Museum, which was established in 1905 in another site site. The collection expanded, and in 1951 it was renamed the National Museum of Cambodia and was taken under the control of the Royal Government. The museum was closed during the Khmer Rouge period, and has been open again since 1979. It houses a collection of Khmer sculptures and other archaeological finds from across a millennium. I approached the museum in the 'wrong' order, going anti-clockwise and so with a muddled chronology. Firstly, I saw a collection of Buddha statues from the post-Angkorian period, which refers to the age between the decline of the Angkor civilization and the beginning of the French colonial period, cited as between the 15th and 19th centuries. These statues were mostly carved from a single piece of wood, decorated with mother-of-pearl, glass or precious stones, and protected by a layer of black or red lacquer paint. Unfortunately I couldn't take photographs of the exhibits to share here. Something I found particularly interesting were the bronze drums in the next room. From the 4th-1st centuries BC these were extremely precious and valuable masterpieces, which were treasured by a community and owned by the village chief. When the chief died, he would be buried with the bronze drum, often filled with jewellery and treasures, to bring him wealth in the next life. These finds are said to be the signature archaeological artefacts of South-East Asia, and over sixty have so far been discovered in North Vietnam, South China and two principal sites in Southern Cambodia. Jumping forward to the early 20th century, I saw a series of paintings depicting scenes from Reamkher, the Khmer version of a popular Hindu story originating in India, which tells the tale of a prince, Preah Ream, and his journey to find and return his abducted wife Neang Seda. Try as I might though, I couldn't follow the story by looking at the paintings. Maybe my imagination is just not good enough.
The next room was dedicated to Jayavarman VII, a Khmer king who ruled from 1177 to 1181. As a prince over 50 years old, he liberated the city of Angkor from a Cham invasion and declared himself king, embarking on a campaign of Empire-building and the construction of many temples and public buildings. Under his rule, the Khmer kingdom grew to its largest ever size, five times the size of modern-day Cambodia. He was known for his compassion for the people of the kingdom, and after his death, thought to be in 1218, he was given the grand posthumous title of Preah Mahaparamasaugatapada, meaning 'he who has gone where the great followers of the supreme Buddha reside'. The main feature of this room is a stone carving of the Jayavarman VII in meditation, his eyes closed and head titled downwards, wearing a simple hermit's loincloth. He must have been an interesting character.
Further on were more stone sculptures depicting divinities from Buddhism and Brahmanism, the oldest being from the 6th-7th century. These included many sculptures of Lakshmi, the female personification of the Vishnu and the goddess of fortune, as well as a peculiar pair of fighting apes. A sign on the wall explained that Khmer sculpture is signified by a balance between simplicity and attention to detail, the loyalty to human form in depiction and the distinctive 'Smile of Angkor' facial expression, a half smile with closed eyes.
In the final quarter of the museum I read a little about the two dominant religious followings in Khmer culture. Brahmanism had long been present due to Indian influence. The three key divinities of Brahmanism are Shiva, responsible for the destruction of the universe, Vishnu, preserver of the universe, and Brahma, the creator, a figure that was not as prominent as the former two in Khmer society and art. Buddhism has been practised since the 6th century, and Mahayana Buddhism first became the state religion under the reign of King Jayavarman VII. Buddhists worship the Buddha, the 'enlightened one', who has 'achieved liberation from the endless cycle of rebirth'. There is also Lokeshvara, the lord of compassion, and Pranjnaparamita, who represents the perfection of wisdom. Before the dominance of these two beliefs, the primary following was Animism, the belief in natural phenomena and in forest spirits.
Evidently, there was a lot of information to be gained at the National Museum, although it was just the right size to walk around for an hour. The smell of jasmine (offerings to statues) and the light from the courtyard made it really pleasant to walk around. I went for lunch at Friends, a tapas restaurant and training school for former street youths. The restaurant gives impoverished young people work experience and hospitality training to equip them for employment in Phnom Penh's tourist industry, so I felt like it was a valuable place to spend my lunch-money. My food took a long time to arrive but I could see it was an exception. I enjoyed a tasty light lunch of smoked aubergine dip with French bread. Next door is Friends & Stuff, a shop and manicure parlour which raises money for the same foundation, and there is also a Khmer restaurant in a different part of the city which is part of the same cause.
In the afternoon I went to the Royal Palace. It is the home to King Norodom Sihanouk and his family, so much of the grounds are off-limits to visitors. I had been told that the palace is overpriced and there is not much you can see when inside, but I felt that I couldn't come to Phnom Penh without seeing it, so I paid my $6.25 to go in. I'm very glad I did. I found that there was an hour and a half's worth of things to see, and it was incredibly beautiful and peaceful, particularly in the late afternoon. It was not permitted to take photos inside any of the buildings, but there was a lot to photograph from walking around the grounds. I loved the elegant golden-yellow tiered rooftops guarded by pigeons on every pinnacle. Yellow and white are used on all of the buildings to represent Buddhism and Brahmanism respectively. The palace as it now stands was constructed in 1866, but was originally built in 1434. After the royal family moved to Oudong to the north, the palace was reconstructed in concrete to the original design.
After this I took a walk at dusk through the park in front of the palace where people gathered to talk or play sports. I walked to the Independence Monument at the junction of the Norodom and Sihanouk boulevards. Constructed in 1958 to model the central tower of Angkor Wat, it is a commemoration of independence from the French, and is also used as a memorial to the war dead. Further along I saw the Cambodia-Vietnam Friendship Monument, a strange combination of grey communist-style figures beneath a yellow Khmer-style roof. Walking along the riverbank I saw a commotion as people crammed into two box-shaped miniature-temples on the street, holding incense sticks. Music was playing and vendors were selling fruit and flowers for offerings, and carrying birds in cages for people to pay to set free (although they are trained to return again). I joined a few tourists who were watching the chaos and wondered what it could be about. Today is Children's day, the final day of Moon Festival and I had been expecting to see children's parades and parties, but I hadn't seen much to suggest it was a special day at all. I wondered if what I was watching could be a part of the Moon Festival, a special Sunday worship, or just an everyday event. There was no way of knowing. (I'll point out here that if anybody reading this blog has any insights to share with me they can be posted in the comment box below, and I will be grateful for the knowledge).After a long afternoon and a lot of walking I appreciated a happy-hour mojito for $1.75 before dinner. I ate on the riverbank again, in fact only next door to the restaurant I ate at last night. I ordered fried pork and shredded ginger and again, the food was very nice. I feel very optimistic about this. Back in Saigon I've had a hard time finding quality budget meals when eating out by myself, but in Phnom Penh I now feel confident that I can't go too wrong and should easily be able to find a delicious and inexpensive meal. I finished the day with a frozen yoghurt bought from a specialist two doors down, and enjoyed this treat as I walked back to the hotel.
My first day in Phnom Penh has been great and I have very positive first impressions of this city. The people are very friendly and chatty, which I appreciated as I'm travelling alone. Today I had conversations with several people in the street and the park, and restaurant service is very warm. The food has been fantastic so far and I have seen some beautiful sights today. Tomorrow may be less fun. I have arranged a tuk-tuk for the day to take me out to the killing fields at Choeung Ek, and then to the Tuol Sleng genocide museum in the former S-21 Khmer Rouge Security Prison. A very different aspect of Khmer history, but one that I am keen to learn more about, however dark and disturbing it may be.
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